Waterbabies Blog

Here we are, waterblogged boys on our big adventure to DEVON....

...we're both pretty excited to be out on the road with Mummy heading off for the South West with most of the contents of our wardrobes and toy cupboards stashed in the boot.

Soundtrack for the trip was Johnny Cash with our own version of lyrics to Fulsom Prison Blues ..." I killed a man in Reno, I tied him to the tracks..." There's something a bit odd about a 4 year old squeaky voice singing along with "Burn, burn, burrrrrrn, that ring of fire-yah!"

Stop #1: National Trust Knighthayes Court near Tiverton.

Great walled vegetable garden with assorted scarecrows including this apt example - Freediver Pete do you recognise yourself?

Stop #2: Daddy's recommendation, Clovelly

Daddy had obviously forgotten Mummy's propensity to come out in a cold panicky sweat on slippery, rocky surfaces as we (very slowly) negotiated the long, long, long descent down the village along the glass like cobbled path - a disaster waiting to happen! Leo earned his goat skills badge by skipping confidently the whole way down while Mummy clung to the wall and inched along - good job the pub at the harbour had a nice glass of Otter beer waiting to sooth her nerves...

Stop #3: Saunton Sands

First dip in the sea, jumping the surf and jumping out of the way of learner surfers. We were surprised by sea water that you could see through being used to the silty flats of our local north sea beach - and JELLYFISH! Eeek! Once we'd established "the jellyfish zone" we had it sorted, no problem.

Stop #4: Lee Bay

The famous glorious SW weather had kicked in by this stage. Good job we've got such an organised Mummy who had prepared for such a rare event as rain on a British seaside holiday. So here's Felix sporting a very flattering headscarf arrangement whilst Leo has the BBQ box for shelter, and Mummy just got wet and weird hair (not for the last time...!)

Veggie hotdogs in the rain on the beach; what could be better?

Stop #5: Dartmoor

Here we go, river swimming! GORGEOUS spot on the River Dart which was perfect for a bit of kagoul based paddling. Mummy was changed and in the water quicker than a quick thing, this was the moment she had been daydreaming about throughout the winter months....

Stop #6: Somewhere else in Dartmoor....

So, it's going home day but we're not ready to go, so we start the persuasion offence ...."such a sunny day, we've come all this way, shame to go home without seeing Dartmoor in the sun, we could have another riverside picnic lunch" etc etc ...soft touch Mummy caves in with the usual amount of stern resistance and off we set for another day tootling around the 25% gradients looking for spots to cool our toes...

The water was BEAUTIFUL - crystal clear, colour of tea, temperature of just melted ice cubes!

Today we branch our sartorially and swap kagoules for fleeces - yep, pretty chilly!

And so back home to Lincolnshire and a new HOT WHEELS track waiting for us - PERFECT!!!